Dish rinsing rack



July 1, 1941. M. l. wExLl-: 2,247,932

DISH RINS ING 'RACK Fuga sept. s. 1937 s shuts-snug 2 jf 'f 1525 ff- Q25i@ Y f5- auf 5 J0 y/hd u "42] I n u n j 4I] J7 IH? f7? j fm i y. 3j 2).?/32 jj ff f6 41 f5 /////j//%7/ j u u uu LJ/2 l Patented July 1,4 1941UNIT-ED STATES DISH RINSING RAC-K i y Monroe L. Wexler, Chicago, Ill.,assigner to Sears,

Roebuck and Co., Chicago, I ll., a ccrpcrationof 'y New York Applicationseptember 3, 1937, serial No. isaiasi.:

4 Claims.

This invention relates to rinsingracks or baskets for dishes, silverwareand the like.

An object of my invention is to provide a compact dish rinsing rackadapted to occupy minimum space in and out of use.

It is also an object to provide a rack for rinsing and draining dishesand the like which may be supported on a drainboard of a sink and whichconfines the rinse fluid to the sink.

A further object isto provide a device of the type referred to which,when not in use, is adapted to collapse.

Another object is to provide a sink cupboard and rinsing basket adaptedto be stored therein with economy of space.

Further objects and advantages of this invention will appear .as thedescription proceeds.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation Aof a basket or rack constructedv inVaccordance with one form of the invention, ready for use.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same.

Fig 3 is a sectional view taken as indicated by the line 3-3 in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a plan View of this device when collapsed. Y

Fig. 5 is a front elevation of the device when collapsed.

Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional View through a sink, cupboard and thedevice of Figs. 1 to 5 stored therein.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the rinse basket 9appearing in Figs. 1 to 5 comprises an upstanding splash guard baseframe I0, preferably of sheet metal, Within which is supported, as byspot-welded brackets II, a mesh Wire floor I2 of any suitable formation.Dish supporting dividers I3 may be fastened to and extend above the oor.Projecting down preferably adjacent the corners of the floor are feet I4which may be formed of rubber or other suitable material to grip thesurface of a drain board I5 or other support.

The frame I0 is generally U-sha-ped, its ends I1 being turned in towardeach other, leaving therebetween adequate space for ingress and egressof dish plates and the like, The top of the frame at the sides and frontis preferably generally at a level adjacent that of the top of thedividers I3.

Side wall panels I8 are hinged at 28 to the sides 23 of the frame I8.Each side panel has a projecting part or lip 25 adjacent the hinge toengage the outside of the frame I0 and serve as a stop to prevent thepanel `from `swinging up vpast a substantially vertical position, vwhereit constitutes in effect an extension of a side of the frame.-

T-he rear wall 25 of the frame has anl upwardly projecting portion 21and'anrear wall panel 28 is hinged thereto afg-29. .1.

The rear panel 28 has an intermediate lipv 3f and endA lips 32engageable with the rear side of the frame-extension 21, serving .toprevent the panel 28 from swinging backward `beyond -a substantiallyvertical-positiomwhere itvforms lin effeet a continuation of thev frameextension 21. The ends 33 of the lrear panel 28 are in the form offlanges bent forward and adapted-.to engage the outer faces of the.yrearwends 35v 4of the side panels I8,serving.thereby as-bracing means.therefor. The lower'ends of theflanges 33 are continuations vof the'end lips 3'2, which project below the tops ofthe sides of lthe frame .f0,.a.ffording end bracing for the rear 'panel seras to relieve the rearpanel hinges 23er axial.v stresses.

When the device is collapsed it appears as show-n i-n Figs.' `4 `and 5,lwith-the side :panels I8 substantially horizonitaL-bne resting ondividers I3 and the other lying thereover, and the rear panel 28overlying the side panels and supported thereon by its flanges 33engaging the middle lips, 25 of the side panels. In Fig. 5 the rearpanel is shown inclined forward and down, but obviously by varyingcertain dimensions, as, for example, the Width of the flanges 33, therear panel may lie flat or at any desired inclination.

In opening the device, the rear panel 28 is first raised. The flanges 33thereof carry spring catches 31 having rounded displaceable portions 38which, when the rear panel is upright, project slightly forward of therear edges 39 of the side panels. As each side panel is swung to uprightposition, its rear edge 39 snaps by the rounded spring portion 38 and isthereafter held assembled with the rear panel as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and3.

The top edge of the rear panel, the top and front edges of the sidepanels, as the three panels appear when upright, and portions of the topand front edges of the frame I0 are rolled smooth as shown at 4I forsafety in handling and improved appearance. These rolled edges on theside panels are adapted to abut the rolled edges on the flanges 33 asshown at 42, when the lips 3| and 32 on the rear panel engage the backof the frame I0, so as to hold the rear panel firmly in uprightposition. The spring catches of the rear panel then cooperate with thelips 25 in holding the side panels I8 upright. Thus the panels mutually,in cooperation with the frame l0, maintain one another upright andprovide an operatively rigid casing or splash guard.

The panels may be lowered simply by swinging the side panels toward eachother, snapping them free of the springs 31 in so doing, sincethereafter the rear panel is free to be swung down over the side panels,whereupon the device is in collapsed condition. In this condition thedevice takes up very little room and may be easily stored out of the wayin a cupboard or other suitable place.

When the basket 9 is not in use, it may be stored in a cupboard, and isparticularly adapted for convenient disposition on the shelf 52 of acupboard 53 below a sink 54, since the usual gooseneck or other drainpipe section 55 may project between the ends l1 of the frame lll andwell into the interior of the basket as shown in Fig. 6. If desired,additional utensils (not shown) may be stored in the basket in the spaceremaining between the drain pipe section 55 and the basket walls.

In the various forms of my invention, a rinse nozzle such as is commonlyfound as an accessory to modern sinks, may be introduced at the front ofthe rinse basket to rinse dishes and the like arranged therein, and therinse water will be conned by the basket walls to the interior of thebasket and will flow out of the bottom of the basket and into the sinksump. In the various forms, also, the dividers I3 may include rubber orother suitable sheaths 13a., as shown in Fig. 6, to avoid thepossibility of marring the articles to be supported by them.

I am aware that many changes may be made and details of constructionvaried through a wide range without departing from the principles of myinvention, and I therefore do not purpose limiting the patent grantedherecn otherwise than as necessitated by the prior art.

I claim:

1. A rack comprising a compartment having an open top, an openwork floorincluding means and means on said panels for yieldably preventing inwardcollapse of said panels, the last mentioned means including a resilientmember yieldable in response to inward manual force on one of saidpanels, said member being inoperative relative to said one panel whenthe latter is disposed inwardly of its outermost position.

3. A rack comprising a base, a pair of wall panels movably connected tosaid base, one of said panels having a spring and the other panel havinga portion which may be forced past said spring selectively in eitherdirection to connect and disconnect said panels, said panels affordingmutual support for each other when said panels are connected, tomaintain said panels upright, said spring being shiftable out of itsnormal position by said other panel in each direction of movement ofsaid other panel.

4. A rack comprising a base, three wall panels hinged to three sides ofsaid base, one of said panels being U-shaped and having its armsextending adjacent and toward the other two panels, springs on the innerfaces of saidI arms for releasable connection with the adjacent ends ofthe other two panels when all of said panels are upright, to maintainsaid panels upright, and means for preventing outward movement of saidU-shaped panel beyond its upright position, so that when said other twopanels are raised they will become interlocked with said U-shaped panel,and when said other two panels are lowered they will become disconnectedfrom said U-shaped panel,

MONROE L. WEXLER.

